


The Rise (and the Fall) Of A Heart Broken Girl

by Lacrimosa (humanyubel)



Series: Let's Be Each Other and Meet [3]
Category: Digimon, Digimon Frontier
Genre: Additional Warnings In Author's Note, Alternate Universe - Creatures & Monsters, Alternate Universe - Ghosts, Alternate Universe - Past Lives, Alternate Universe - Psychics/Psionics, Based on a Vocaloid Song, Body Dysphoria, Body Horror, Body Image, Bullying, Canonical Character Death, Catholicism, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, Family Issues, Female Friendship, Female Homosexuality, Female-Centric, First Kiss, Five Stages of Grief, Gen, Ghosts, Horror, Memory Alteration, Memory Loss, Minor Character Death, Mythical Beings & Creatures, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Psychic Abilities, Psychological Horror, Secret Crush, Slow Build, Suspense, Trans Female Character, Unreliable Narrator
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-29
Updated: 2017-05-01
Packaged: 2018-09-20 07:18:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,066
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9480830
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/humanyubel/pseuds/Lacrimosa
Summary: Life was okay until the Legendary Psychic Girl entered her class.





	1. Déjà vu

Izumi never believed and never would believe in ghosts. She had been raised Catholic and even though at this point she only went to Mass.... That was the only thing her parents were strict with. She didn’t hate her religious background but the compulsory nature of which her parents made her practice it really really sucked. 

 

Izumi didn’t believe in spirits, felt incredibly afraid in the dark. There was no need to complicate her fear by believing in spirits that weren’t concrete. There was no need to believe in anything of the sort. It would only hurt her in the end as most things did that she wasn’t sure of.

 

Life was okay until the Legendary Psychic Girl entered her class. At the beginning of year when asked to introduce herself she said she enjoyed reading and running. The entire class whispered, awe consumed.

 

“It’s her!”

 

“The Psychic Girl!”

 

She never looked at anyone in the class as she spoke, glossy blue eyes focused on a fixed point. Her low raspy voice made Izumi shiver in her seat. It sounded familiar. The girl seemed to notice her movement, honing in on her. The weight of her stare unnerved Izumi.

 

No one had looked at her since that fight at the end of last year. She had sent a girl from the school’s judo club to the hospital because of a pure miracle. The muscular girl had been unbalanced as she moved to punch Izumi again (for the fifth time). Izumi was faster. Of course she had taken the opportunity to grab the girl’s arm and flip her over her shoulder. She wasn’t sure how she knew to do such a thing but it had paid off. 

 

The bully’s skull had cracked against the pavement and she’d accidentally broken her arm. The girl had had friends but they hadn’t bothered Izumi from what Izumi remembered. Then again she’d been hit in the head enough on that day alone. The last two days of school were fuzzy. At least she’d been able to go to Italy with her parents over the summer. They always did the same things every year, but it was fun.

 

Her parents hadn’t talked to her since the end of summer, but they never really talked to her outside of summer time. They had been very rarely interested in her life, even when she was a child. It wasn’t exactly their full fault. Stressful jobs that demanded success and a few other things such as general disinterest. Izumi never minded really, she probably had more freedom than most of her peers.

 

Still it was lonely sometimes... They never all ate together, since the end of summer her parents had locked themselves in their studies or worked long hours. She was always asleep by the time they returned. In the mornings she was too tired to even remember dressing for school. She had had memory problems since the end of the last school year so it wasn’t too much for her to worry about, not in her eyes.

 

But the way the girl looked at her caused her skin to heat up. She wore a pair of thick rimmed glasses and her hair was chin length save for her bangs. It looked like it got in her face a lot, but she was extremely cute if not unnerving. A beauty mark under her left eye was just barely noticeable under her thick glasses.

 

She introduced herself as Kimura Kouichi and she asked the class to take care of her. She didn’t look like she wanted to be up there, even though her face was a careful blank mask. Izumi knew that look-  was familiar with seeing it on herself. Kouichi sat in the back next to her and Izumi heard a few people gasp. 

 

No one ever sat next to her or made any move to come close to her desk. It had been like that ever since she returned to Japan but it had never been this bad. Izumi blamed it on last year’s fight. 

 

As the teacher called attendance Izumi didn’t bother listening. She never called Izumi’s name, none of their teachers did or would ever. They never liked her and it was fine with Izumi. She just looked out of the window and blew a stray piece of hair out of her face. During her idle window gazing she saw a flash of movement outside as she blinked. When she focused on it, whatever it was had vanished. It was like someone was running outside at about the speed of a car on a freeway.

 

That wasn’t possible so Izumi tried her best to ignore it. When she looked away, gaze shifting around the room to look at her classmates she realized that Kouichi was looking outside at the exact same spot she had just watched. Her dark blue eyes glassy, mind a thousand miles away.

 

She didn't listen to the lesson, it was review and something she was well versed in. She knew enough to be useful when it came to grammar structure. Instead she carefully read from her personal book. It was a romance novel of sorts but she didn't really get the plot. 

 

It could've been Casper for all she knew. She'd been trying to read it since before the fight last year because it was in Italian. She didn't have ready access to anything in Italian typically- she cherished their summer trips, really. 

 

She often found herself interrupted while reading, by the sound of the bell this time. 

 

Everyone took a five minute break to stretch before moving onto the next subject. Math was too easy. Izumi copied the problems down in her note book.

 

Geometry was easy to memorize like most of the other subjects she took. In earlier grades after she had read all the other literature books in their library she had moved onto the maths and sciences. 

 

No one had talked to her then and she made no effort to talk to others. She wanted to be kinder but with each failed attempt she shut herself off more and more...

 

Her developed memory issues didn't really help her out that much either. She didn't try to remember her classmates this year out of embarrassment. She didn't want to be picked on for not knowing the name of their class representative. Maybe it was Chiruka?

 

But Kimura Kouichi... The name inspired a melody to fill her chest like a faintly remembered lullaby. It settled like stones in her stomach only to float into her heart and flutter like thousands of hummingbirds, hovering near. 

 

The rest of the morning was fairly uneventful English was easy, she was nearly fluent in it. She had picked up a lot of English in Italy, surprisingly. Instead of listening she reached into her desk to grab her copy of the Picture of Dorian Gray. She felt anger swell up within her until she remembered. She has left the book in her desk over summer, there was no reason for her to be mad. The janitors had probably collected her book and taken it to the library.

 

She'd have to look. But it’d be a pain, she didn’t know anyone in the library. Club members and attendants changed yearly. 

 

It really wasn’t her problem, she could always buy another copy. A shiny hard back with a new cover and everything. She had gotten her previous copy from a slightly unconventional source. 

 

She had found it in a graveyard while visiting a deceased relative of hers. She had been on her way back and the abundance of tightly packed graves freaked her out. She hated ghosts because of her fear of the dark. She had gripped the rosary wound in her small hand even tighter.

 

The book had been laying on the ground open, dropped in a hurry. It wasn’t hers and she couldn’t tell how long it had been out there but she was still drawn to it. Every step towards it was of her own violation.

 

She apologized to the gravestone. At the time her understanding of Japanese was poor. She thought the gravestone said “Sasaki”, but looking back on it it probably wasn’t anything resembling Sasaki. Maybe over time she had romanticised it?

 

Still she had picked it up and blinked at the English before her. She had returned from Italy to pay her respects to her uncle and to finally settle down in Japan. She was familiar with most basic English phrases but an entire book? She didn’t know how long it would take the read the entirety of it. She had learned a lot but she hadn’t had a chance to truly test her abilities.The Japanese scribbled in the margins was, at least, vaguely familiar. 

 

The only reason she didn’t return the book and rush back to the church was because of what was written in the front cover.

 

_ To Izumi chan.   _

 

She nearly dropped the book and her rosary in her surprise.  Her free hand traced over the characters of her name. Was this book for her? There was so much written there just within the front cover. She felt a garden of roses bloom within her breast.

 

“Izumi.” Her Mother and Father shouted to her from down by the church. They were both wearing their usual business attires in dull grays. In her Mother’s right hand she held a glass of red wine, the same color red as her nails, as blood in an ambulance.

 

She panicked for a second at the tone of their voices before she finally settled on tucking the book in the band of her skirt.

 

Her skirt was dark pink and fell to her knees. Her white socks with pink lace were the nicest pair she owned and the pair she always wore to church. Her white blouse was new, it had shiny blue buttons that reflected the sun. It was only the beginning of spring and ever so slightly chilly. Her cardigan would hide her book for now.

 

Before she left she said her thanks to the gravestone's owner. Her voice was soft but the wind was kind and carried it for her. She felt as though the gravestone was thanking her. 

 

As they left, her parents caging her in between their larger bodies, Izumi threw a final look over her shoulder. There was no one there. It was silly for her to have expected someone her own age standing where she stood, waving to her. Even in the distance, eyes hopeful and bright.

 

Instead of focusing like she probably should have, she returned her attention to outside. It was the first day back for the year and the Sakura were in fresh bloom. She tucked a stray clump of hair behind an ear. She once again felt eyes on her and half expected it to be one of her classmates. She was half right.

 

Kouichi sat quietly, but her eyes were wide and unblinking. Izumi frowned- was she okay? She opened her mouth to whisper but Kouichi interrupted her. She pressed a short finger to her mouth in a hush motion and then she focused her attention on her.

 

A shock of electricity ran down Izumi’s spine when she realized that Kouichi hadn’t been looking at her, she’d been looking  _ through  _ her. She felt eyes boring through the back of her head and knew whoever was behind her was staring back. She slowly turned around trying to be quiet.

 

“Someone” hadn’t been the right term. “Something” may have worked better. That is if Izumi had a clue of what the hell it was she was looking at.

 

It’s body moved like mist, or maybe it was like looking at something under a microscope that wouldn’t focus no matter what you did. The eyes that looked back at Kouichi, and by extension, her, were a startling neon green. Whatever it was, was humanoid, but it held itself like an injured animal. Its left arm was tucked in close to its body, if you could even call it that. 

 

Thick gelatinous blood oozed from multiple wounds. It was the same color as its eyes. 

 

Izumi was thoroughly unnerved to say the least. 

 

The class was too focused on watching a boy stutter his way through the required reading to notice Izumi trying not to scream. She felt a warm hand on her shoulder, scorching would be better. She knew it was Kouichi, she must have noticed how uncomfortable she was. Kouichi felt like what the sun would feel like if it reached out and touched you.

 

She gently urged Izumi to face forward and ignore the creature, as if it wasn’t there at all. Izumi reluctantly followed her silent instruction. 

 

Kouichi’s hand moved to settle over on top of Izumi’s hand. It’s weight was oddly comforting and despite the situation Izumi found herself blushing.

 

Kouichi continued her silent stare off with the creature instead of paying attention during class. Izumi focused on the searing warmth of Kouichi’s hand over her own. How could anyone be so hot?

 

Her face flushed deeper, there she was blushing like a schoolgirl with a crush because someone was touching her hand. Though to be fair she was a schoolgirl. Still, she felt incredibly silly. Kouichi probably thought she was a weirdo and there went another possible friend down the drain forever. 

 

Not that she really considered that Kouichi would want to be her friend, she joined the same time as everyone else had and probably had plenty of people to talk to.

 

She’d heard about her before, never had a name or face to connect the story to until now.

 

The class passed by quickly and before Izumi knew it, the teacher was leaving and they were on break. Kouichi stood and left to go outside, the creature followed. Izumi felt her knees nearly knock together at the intensity of its gaze.

 

She wasn’t a coward but it made every muscle in her body tense up. Why was Kouichi going out to it? Izumi waited and she waited but by the time Kouichi came back two class periods had passed. Kouichi stood before the room, hair shower fresh and uniform straightened. It curled around her face and stuck up in other areas, like her hair couldn’t decide where it wanted to go.

“Where were you Kimura san?” their teacher asked, her hands rested on her bony hips.

 

“I went to the nurse’s office and the nurse spilled a cart full of supplies on me. She wrote me a late pass.” Kouichi showed her the scrawled out note, it was nearly illegible. It looked exactly like their nurse’s handwriting. 

 

She made her way back to her seat, footsteps like waves crashing against the shore. They didn’t cease when she took her seat, only more subtle in their movement. A being full of grace.

 

She resumed her work and didn’t even glance over at Izumi. Izumi wasn’t sure what any of it meant. Who did that girl think she was getting her hopes up? How cruel.

 

The periods passed on without Izumi paying any attention. It was easier to lay her head on the desk and not look like she was staring at Kouichi.

 

Which she wasn’t. She was only periodically looking over to see what Kouichi was doing.

 

Before Izumi even knew it the day was over and the class had already bowed to the teacher. Thinking back on it, she couldn’t remember much about lunch other than the face Kouichi made when she first opened up the box.

 

She focused on her surroundings and saw a note. The handwriting was familiar and without opening it she knew Kouichi had written it. Everything about Kouichi was familiar. But Izumi had heard that fake psychics did weird things to get your guard down. Like hold your hand.

 

She stood and pocketed the note. She’d read it later.

 


	2. La morte mi trovera vivo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Izumi only wanted to find her book.

_ You can see them too, can’t you?  _

 

Izumi stood in the middle of the library after school, positively fuming. So it was a joke. How cruel of her to do something like that? How had she been able to create a prop like that. Psychics were all frauds and it was downright ridiculous that she had been temporarily fooled. Kouichi must have taken her for a fool.

 

“Psychics” were cruel people that played on people’s insecurities. Izumi hated when people lied to her. At least she wouldn’t run into Kouichi in the library. She almost wished she could just leave but she wanted to see if they had a copy of the book. It was one of her favorites.

 

She quietly paced around the back of the library.  Her footsteps barely created a whisper against the faded rugs. She looked everywhere around the back rows, checked every individual book for a solid hour. She couldn’t find a single copy of the Picture of Dorian Gray. 

 

“Damn it.” She swore softly. She backed up, hands on her hips. They had to have thrown her book away. She moved to turn around when she heard it.

 

It sounded like deep groaning and dripping dripping water. Maybe thicker than water even. She froze mid movement and glanced around without moving her head. 

 

She felt a hand on her shoulder. 

 

She spun around fists up and was greeted by Kouichi’s soft face. Up close her frames were thicker and the lenses finger smudged.

 

Izumi’s hands drifted back down to her sides, slightly guilty.

 

“Izumi chan, what did you need? If it's about the note then I'm gla-”

 

“I came here for a book.” Izumi said, then she continued as if an after thought.

 

“Quit playing pranks on me I'm not an idiot!”

 

“I wouldn't play any jokes on you. What book did you need?”

 

“I was hoping my Picture of Dorian Gray was here. I think I left it in my desk over the summer on accident.” 

 

Without looking Kouichi told her “We don’t have any copies.”

 

Izumi felt like she was keeping a secret from her.

 

“Do you have a copy, personally?”

 

Kouichi gave her one of the most serene smiles she'd even born witness to. The edges of her mouth contained out of reach secrets.

 

“I do. I got it from an old friend.”

 

“Can I borrow it? There was a message in mine that I read everyday and I really want to remember it… Kimura.” She felt a little embarrassed that she was being so formal while Kouichi automatically fell into first name basis with her. 

 

But then again Kouichi had been playing tricks on her, getting her hopes up. It really was her own fault.

 

“As soon as I finish it.” She said, that same smile on her face. She only came up to Izumi’s chin. “You can call me Kouichi, you know?” 

 

Izumi flushed slightly, shaking her head. She couldn’t. Kouichi really was playing with her now. Trying to convince her that ghosts and weird monsters were real. Being friendly with her. She wasn’t sure which was worse.

 

“Kimura san.” she insisted and Kouichi’s face fell just ever so slightly. It was enough to make Izumi feel bad but not go back on what she said.

 

“Izumi chan?”

 

“H-huh?” Izumi snapped out of her daze, and focused on the girl before her. She was staring off into the distance, blue eyes taking on that glassy gaze.

  
“You really need to run.” 


	3. Channeling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A heart is a mouthful to swallow. Pride be damned Izumi was going to try and understand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long I had family and home stuff to take care of. This chapter goes out to Alise. Whoever you are...thanks kind reviewer.

“Stay here, okay?” Kouichi slammed the shed door shut in her face. She went to one of the few windows in the confined space, there were sacks of dirt. “Huh?” She didn’t have the time to look behind her before Kouichi was pulling her behind her. Izumi was fairly fast but Kouichi ran as if her life depended on it. Izumi spared a quick peek behind them. Her heart stuttered to a stop. 

 

“W-what the hell is that thing?!” It looked like something that had crawled straight out of a cave, the depths of which were never meant to be ventured. It smelled like rotten dirt and the decay that swam within it. Thick patches of moss and mud slid off of its body. So that was what she had heard earlier? 

 

How hadn't she heard it while talking to Kouichi? Talk about tunnel vision. Or really, tunnel senses.

 

Kouichi was really trying to sell the whole ghosts and ghouls thing to her. But...this felt real. Kouichi’s grip was firm on her arm and her hand was so unbelievably hot. Kouichi felt like a hot pack on her wrist. 

 

It was strange though, how Kouichi calmed her down just the slightest with a touch. She must wear some type of oil on her hands that affected your senses. That or she was just really really sweaty. Probably both.

 

“Izumi chan!” Izumi focused on Kouichi again just in time to be forced into the shed in the school’s garden. Kouichi had really taken her this far away from the library? It only felt like seconds.

 

Shovels, pots, and an array of many other things she didn’t have the time to take note of.

 

Outside Kouichi stood before the creature. It was shorter than her but she could see the well defined muscles from where she stood in the relative safety of the shed.

 

It’s club was larger than the width of its arm and that was when Izumi really started to worry. 

 

“Leave evil spirit, I don’t want to have to hurt you.” It opened it’s mouth to smile at her and Izumi nearly passed out. The smell from here alone was unbearable. Quite a few of its teeth were missing. 

 

“You hurt me? As if!” it lunged at Kouichi, club aimed for her skull. Her glasses glinted in the sunlight and then she was simply gone. Izumi blinked at her unsure of what she’d just seen.

 

It must’ve been a magician act, there was a boy she had seen once that only liked to play magic tricks. He was lonely like her, they had talked for awhile, but eventually he’d left. His parents had transferred him. His final disappearing act.

 

The monster, which Izumi contemplated calling “Hoax Humber 2” looked all around it. She heard Kouichi’s voice speak again. 

 

“I’ll let you continue on as a weaker spirit if you stop.” Hoax Number 2 swung around it’s club once again aiming for Kouichi’s throat. Kouichi dodged it easily. 

 

Kouichi really went to great lengths to get people to believe her…

 

“Like Hell! I didn’t work this hard to let some twerp try and humiliate me like that.” It laughed and Izumi felt like daggers had just pierced her heart. Kouichi moved to put herself in between the two of them, as subtly as she could.

 

It lunged out towards Kouichi but it didn’t reach her, it was like something had blocked her. She blinked hard and after seven times she saw.

 

A shield of purple was up protecting the both of them from Hoax Number 2. As if they needed protection.

 

It tried again and again, each time the shield went up to block. 

 

“What are you tryin’ so hard to protect? You afraid that you’re really such a weakling...or” it’s beath was so rancid Izumi had to cover her nose “Is there someone you’re tryin’ to protect?” Kouichi’s shoulders tensed up and Izumi found it hard to breathe. 

 

Why was Kouichi going to such an extreme length to convince her, she knew frauds had to earn their money but this was ridiculous. The genuine fear in the set of Kouichi’s shoulders made it feel like it was really and truly real. 

 

“You got another little pipsqueak you’re tryin’ to protect? Didn’t even register until now, heh he.” 

  
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Kouichi denied.

 

“Looks like I’ll have to fix that…” It dashed past Kouichi and towards where Izumi was (previously) safely hidden.

 

Izumi heard Kouichi’s grunt of horror. She watched with wide eyes as Hoax Number 2 came barreling to her. Maybe it wasn’t a joke?

 

She felt like she had blinked because too much had happened in the span of three seconds. Kouichi had appeared before it and stuck a glowing purple hand in its chest. It exploded in a heap of moss, earth, and rot. Kouichi was absolutely covered with it, head to toe. She looked down at herself and gagged.

 

Izumi felt light headed at the sight. Kouichi quickly focused on her again and ran to her, foot falls screaming “don’t fail me now”. 

 

“Izumi chan are you okay?” Chunks of things Izumi really didn’t want to know about clung to her hair.

 

It was a wonder she could see through her glasses really.

 

She reached out her hands to check if Izumi was okay but she dodged them. Her eyes were waterfalls now that Kouichi, and the smell, was up close.

 

“K-kou- Kimura” she felt herself slip up and wanted to cover her head. She could get friendly with Kouichi once she understood what the hell was happening.

 

“Izumi chan?”

 

“We need to talk. Now, well...After you shower.” Kouichi sighed, like she really didn’t want to put the conversation off for any longer but the smell was so bad she felt like her ribs were deteriorating. 

 

“Okay.” Okay was all she said. It was incredibly simple, Izumi really didn’t want to continue this charade but... It felt real and all too dangerous, even if Kouichi was a fraud she was doing stupid things. Stupid things that could get her hurt.

* * *

 

 

Their school unfortunately did not have any showers to wash off with. At least not for the students. So that’s how Izumi found herself in a cramped space with only two stalls that would be too short for her to use and Kouichi trying to get all the grime off of her body.

 

She politely directed her eyes elsewhere but there wasn’t really anywhere to focus her attention on. Her glasses had been cleaned first so she tried to estimate how poor Kouichi’s vision was.

Fortunately the other girl broke the silence.

 

“I’m glad you’re okay.”

 

“You don’t even know me.” Izumi insisted, she looked up from her staring contest with a pair of glasses to return Kouichi’s stare.

 

“Is that what you think?” Kouichi had twisted around slightly to look at her with those same blue eyes as earlier. Izumi’s heart fluttered like a nervous bird. For someone with lenses that thick she could hold a stare well.

 

“I’ve never met you before in my life. I think I’d remember someone like you.” Izumi crossed her arms and tried to not blink. It was embarrassing to have Kouichi stare at her while she was butt naked in the teacher’s shower booth. If they got caught she wasn’t sure what she’d die of first: embarrassment or the consequences.

 

“You never know,” Kouichi said cryptically “Call it past lives?” she finally turned around and Izumi felt the flush die down on her cheeks.

 

“Whatever. What was that thing, Hoax Number 2, be honest with me. How are you making something like that?” Izumi was frustrated with herself for playing into Kouichi’s game. She was curious though. 

 

Her Mother always told her that would be her downfall.

 

“A ghost.” Kouchi simply, she bent down to wash her calves. Then her brain seemed to catch up to her. She snorted out a giggle of disbelief. “You named them? You’re lucky they aren’t here since I exorcised it. At least I’d protect you if they were here anyways.” she stood up to turn off the water.

 

“Sounds kind of hard to do since... Aren’t ghosts supposed to be… I don’t know...intangible?”  _ And not real.  _ The water had stopped, drip drip dripping. Izumi looked at, eyes filled with surprise and horror?

 

Water from her hair slid down into her face.

 

“Well of course I can, you didn’t know? I thought you did…The fraud comments make more sense now, I guess.”

 

“Ghosts aren’t real.” from the look on Kouichi’s face Izumi knew she thought she was crazy. Realization spread across her face, lighting up into a shade of despair. Her face returned to the same serene smiles though the corners of her eyes gave away her distress.

 

“Wow that hurt Izumi chan, doubting me like that.” she laughed and Izumi couldn’t help but laugh a little too.

“Of course not, I know where I’m going when I die. I think. You go to heaven or hell.” Kouichi laughed but the look in her eye remained.

 

“How do you explain those two spirits then?”

 

“You’re a really dedicated fraud.” Izumi crossed her arms when Kouichi let out a startled laugh.

 

The sound made her heart squeeze painfully. It’d been so long since she’d had a friend.

 

A heart is a mouthful to swallow. Pride be damned Izumi was going to try and understand.

 

“I don’t see the point in lying to you, so why would I “make” things that could erase you from existence just to convince you that I’m a psychic. I don’t do things like that.” Kouichi didn’t bother to dry her hair, or her body really. 

 

At least she’d had the forethought to have Izumi grab her one of the spare uniforms the school kept around. The socks were a little too big and it shouldn’t have looked so cute like that on her, it was mysterious how she did it. Everything about Kouichi was an enigma really. But the way she insisted that she was a real psychic really made no sense at all and was perhaps in the category "top 3 most baffling things about Kimura Kouichi".

 

Eventually Izumi would get her to tell the truth but now didn’t seem to be the time. It’d be nice to stay by Kouichi’s side even if she was a weirdo. It’d been so long since she’d had a friend, the magician boy, Junpei, had been the last one. 

 

Izumi walked outside with her and… When had it gotten so dark outside? The sun was close to setting and even at a distance the school smelled dreadful.

 

“Why can I smell that?”

 

“Because you’re involved.” Kouichi hummed, she didn’t carry a school bag.

 

“Will the others be able to smell it?” Izumi hoped not. She wouldn’t wish that odor on her worst enemy. 

 

“Of course, it was the last thing it did before it ceased to exist. They’ll blame it on a septic tank leak or something ridiculous like that.” 

 

“But spirits aren’t? You’re pretty backwards, aren’t you, Kimura san.” Izumi side eyed her classmate. What a weirdo. 

 

“You think so? My name’s Kouichi.”

 

“I know.” Kouichi scratched the back of her head, face screwing up slightly. It was oddly cute considering she was a stranger. A strange stranger.

“Then call me by my name, my Mom- Mother- is Kimura san.” Izumi looked up at the Sakura trees around them and allowed her thoughts to wander. This was nice. Walking together with someone. Izumi had changed routes ever since the fight last year, just being near the area sent warning flags through her brain. Thankfully Kouichi lived the opposite direction from her.

 

Izumi looked over at Kouichi to study her for a moment while the silence still blanketed them. Her hair was still wet and the tips curled at random. Even though she had just cleaned them, the lenses of her glasses were _already_ smudged. Kouichi noticed her staring right away and stared back, smile on her face.

 

She had dimples, how hadn’t she noticed that before?

 

“I’ll see you tomorrow in class, Izumi chan.” 

  
But was it really okay? To stay with Kouichi?


	4. Percipient

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What's the use in believing?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reminder to read my friend Ti's writing, since this is a Frontier fanfiction I'll link to one of her Frontier fics!
> 
> http://archiveofourown.org/works/9537065

Izumi sat in her usual seat during math class, occasionally Kouichi would smile at her. No one ever looked behind them during this, so Izumi assumed it was planned out in shifts. Even Kouichi had a reputation to retain… but it still stung.

 

Occasionally she took a break to stare outside. We're there more things like yesterday and the other day out there? Were they always around at all times? That’d be messed up, why didn’t they leave?

 

Izumi was really getting ahead of herself with this whole lie. She swore to herself to give Kouichi a chance, but this wasn’t attempting to understand. This was jumping into it and digging herself a hole until there’d be no way out and she’d be forced to suffocate when Kouichi left her for dead.

Kouichi would probably never do something like that.

 

Kouichi seemed fairly hell bent on protecting her from those things… That she probably made herself. Junpei would’ve liked her. He liked things that weren’t real.

 

Chance… She was giving Kouichi a chance, and that meant she needed to not talk poorly of something Kouichi had fooled herself with.

_Find a happy medium, Orimoto._

 

She looked over at Kouichi and found that she was already looking. Her eyes looked faraway, expression contemplative. Izumi turned around to see if she was looking at another spirit, but nothing was behind her. Her movement seemed to have brought Kouichi back to the real world. When she turned back, Kouichi blinked at her, sleepy eyes content. A small smile on her face, sweet enough to make Izumi’s teeth rot..

 

She was unfairly cute.

 

“Sorry, I was just thinking.” she said, voice hushed in a whisper. Izumi felt the urge to fall into a world of their own, the longer Kouichi looked at her. God, it’d been so long since someone had talked to her and wanted to be her friend.

 

She needed to get out of that idealistic mindset. She wasn’t a little kid anymore. There were no rainbows of joy to take her to a heaven faraway. The cold hard reality was that Izumi wasn’t liked in school and some random new girl had taken an interest in her.

 

She rubbed a hand against her knuckles and exhaled from her nose. She was giving Kouichi a chance.

 

* * *

 

 

They stay lounged around in the back of the library, voices down feather soft. Izumi sat on an old long desk, long legs crossed at the ankle. She hated sitting like that but it was to be polite.

 

The deep green of her uniform skirt reached about mid thigh when she sat, she didn’t feel the need to fix it, but the wooden table was really warm. They always turned up the heaters in their school so it was to be expected in all fairness.

 

She felt really cold, April was so pretty in Japan but she didn’t like the nip in the air. It also didn’t help that Kouichi was like a heater and so far away. She organized the books in the different sections around them and made sure there wasn’t any trash laying around.

 

“Why do you do this?” Izumi asked, kicking her left leg in a seesaw motion.

 

“I’m the president of the library club.” Kouichi hummed, tucking a piece of hair away from her face so she could read a title better.

 

“So you conned the school early on?” Izumi laughed at the face Kouichi made. She looked so affronted.

 

“I'm a psychic not a con artist, though what I do can be considered art.”

 

“Admitting it now?” Kouichi scoffed and stood from her crouch, skirt rumpled and white socks covered in dust.

 

“Nothing to admit to, Izumi chan. Though I will say one thing: I'm not a fake.” Her hair curled cutely around her face, she frowned stubbornly every time Izumi looked at her with distrust.

 

“Well what can you do?” Izumi gripped the table with eager hands. Maybe Kouichi could show her and dispel any falsehoods. Unfortunately Kouichi didn't seem to share her enthusiasm.

 

“Nothing I need to show you now.” Kouichi turned on her heel and walked away. Arms raised in a languid stretch. Izumi leaned as much as she could to keep her in sight.

 

She quickly gave up on that to follow her by foot.

 

She stood in front of Kouichi, hip cocked against a bookshelf, arms crossed as if she had any authority.

 

“At least tell me one.”

 

“You already know at least seven. Even if you don't acknowledge it.” Kouichi looked sad for a moment, Izumi really didn't want to see such an expression on her face.

 

She blushed under Kouichi’s stare. “...Please.”

 

Kouichi’s face morphed into a look of surprise before she grinned.

 

“There's a really small one. I can show you too.”

 

Kouichi plucked a hair out. It glowed a soft purple like amethyst. It’s bioluminescence startled Izumi for a moment before she shrugged that feeling out.

 

“I can use my hair as a dowsing rod. I don’t really need a rod, but it’s more interesting that way. We’re not in a remote place so I’ll just…” She blinked her eyes and Izumi watched the strand of hair grow before her eyes.

 

“H-how can you just make it grow? Don’t you have to mess around with it on a cellular level?” Kouichi took a moment to think over her answer.

 

“I don’t really know. I was born like this. My grandmother described it like this,” Kouichi took a deep breath and did her best impression of an elderly woman. “your soul is very strong. It’s an energy you can control with your feelings and mind.” Izumi shook off the awe and looked at the floating hair from all angles.

 

“Can I touch it?”

 

“Sure, I guess? Go slowly I’m used to protecting or attacking, not daily interactions…” Izumi reached a hand trembling in waves splashing against a shore to touch the hair. It felt so warm against her fingertips, the purple energy invitingly curled around her index finger.

 

When she blinked her eyes open, energy surged through her system. It tugged her forward slightly, she was entranced by the sight. She glanced up and saw the bright red blush on Kouichi’s cheeks, like roses in full bloom.

 

Her hair stuck up at the tips in several different places and, had it always done that? Probably not. At least not to that extent- that much Izumi was sure of.

 

Kouichi pulled away with a start, strand of hair disappearing into nothingness. Clear water eyes locked onto her.

 

Izumi could only blink, startled by the suddenness of it all. The way Kouichi’s warmth had been torn away from her made her heart clench. It was so reassuring. It felt like safety and Izumi hated it.

 

Kouichi didn’t get to be kind and comforting when she didn’t even know her. She was a con artist that masqueraded as a psychic. She must be drugging her, that was why she felt light headed around Kouichi. Why she saw flashing lights and monsters that weren’t actually real. They were probably just real people that Kouichi made her think were evil.

 

But why did she seem so sincere? Did she actually believe the bullshit she spouted? Sincerely believing everything you said seemed so out there. Izumi personally didn’t put much stock into what she said. She often said what others wanted to hear, if they’d listen.

 

If this was real, then Kouichi was really honest. Izumi’s heart beat painfully against her chest.

 

Too honest.

 

* * *

 

 

Kouichi sat on an old swing at their local elementary school. No one was there and everything was misted with spring. Pinks and blues and greens surrounded them like an audience.

 

“Don't you have to go home?” Kouichi asked, swinging gently. She rocked back and forth with her get still planted on the ground.

 

“No one’s really missing me.” Kouichi stopped and looked over to her. Izumi didn't really feel like swinging. The school day was _draining._

 

She wished Kouichi would just touch her so they could get it all over with. That must be how she was administering it.

 

Kouichi touched her daily. A hand in hers, on her shoulder, her bicep. The breeze picked up. It blew around both of their hair.

 

Kouichi watched her with blue eyes that made her feel warmer than a touch. Maybe it was just the fact that she was looking at her for who she was, not her background.

 

It figured that the only person to understand her was some girl with ocean eyes that liked to play pretend psychic.

 

If her parents knew they'd kick her out. That is, if they would ever talk to her.

 

“Do you ever wonder what it's like to fly?” Izumi looked at petals floating around them.

 

“Yes.” Izumi was only mildly surprised by Kouichi’s expédiant response. She seemed like she'd want to fly.

 

“It must be nice… I'd like to be free like that. Like a bird.” She relaxed against one of the support beams.

 

Kouichi ceased in her rocking to look at her for a moment. To have her be the center of her attention.

 

“You seem pretty free to me.” The way she spoke slowly reminded her of molasses being poured. Thick and like sludge. Sweet at the edges if you searched.

 

“Huh?”

 

“No one knows your name. Your parents don't mind if you go home late… you can leave you can go somewhere better! Where you can do whatever you want.”

 

Izumi snorted.

 

“It's not freedom if your parents don't care. I'd rather have them care than be able to wander around doing nothing.”

 

“Is that what you really want, Izumi chan?”

 

Izumi startled at the look Kouichi sent her. Eyes searching her face.

 

“H-huh?” Izumi froze in place at the severity of her gaze. Kouichi sounded like a genie before it offered wishes.

 

Izumi couldn't take her eyes away from Kouichi. The air stilled around them and Izumi could’ve sworn the world froze around them. Time simply stopping.

 

“If what you want most is to be loved then you don't need to look far.” The spell that took over the scenery broke and Kouichi began to swing for real. Soft smile curling her lips into a strange concoction of melancholy and joy.

 

They stood outside for hours until long after the sun set. Neither spoke, Izumi could tell Kouichi was upset. Everytime Izumi looked over, Kouichi was already looking at her, warm sunflower smile upon her lips. Adorning her face, drawing her eyes to stare into Kouichi’s.

 

They stared at one another for a very long time. Izumi couldn’t remember having a better night.

 

* * *

 

 

It was raining and they were stuck in the library again. Izumi entertained herself with reading a few of the English books. The Shining was really one of the only ones worth noting. She finished it in about an hour and spent the rest of their time looking around. She’d read most of the books last year.

 

Kouichi sat at one of the long tables and rested her eyelids, flickering like morse code.

 

“When did this all start?” Izumi asked. She combed her fingers through her hair while she looked at books detailing about how worthless all life was. It was fairly depressing.

 

“When did what all start?” Kouichi shifted. Her eyes were still closed, face peaceful like a spring meadow.

 

“You being psychic.” Izumi vaguely waved a hand through the air.

 

“Oh, that. It started when I was born. The first thing I can remember though? That would be my first lucid dream.”

 

“Where you’re in control of everything?”

 

“Yes.” Kouichi didn’t continue so Izumi decided to stick her neck out a little.

 

“What was it about?”

 

Kouichi sighed through her nose and sat up to look at her.

 

“I had a very faithful cat. She comforted me when a loved one died.”

 

“I’m sorry for asking.” Izumi rubbed her arm. She felt awkward and intrusive. She’d asked something private and this was going to be what finally drove her away.

 

She’d gotten too close too soon for selfish reasons. She wanted to know if Kouichi was real, she wanted someone that would stay. They could share secrets.

 

But Kouichi just looked at her. No anger or suspicion in her eyes. Only curiosity and a warmth Izumi wasn’t sure she’d ever understand.

 

“What do you dream of, Izumi chan?”

 

“I...don’t dream anymore,” and then “I had a dream once. This boy I used to know had me in a jack in the box. I’d come out every once in awhile but he got further and further away until I couldn’t see him anymore. Then I ran down a flight of stairs made out of scarves. I think I died after face planting into a cake.”

 

Kouichi looked absolutely bewildered.

 

“I have a friend who’s really good at dream interpreting. He’s younger than us.”

 

“Let me guess he’s psychic too?” Izumi said, voice wine dry.

 

“He wishes he was.” the look on her face made Izumi refrain from questioning.

 

The rain got heavier and heavier. Everyone had already left the school save for the two of them because Izumi just _had_ to stay with Kouichi. In her defense she was just interrogating Kouichi. Her pleasant company was just a bonus.

 

“Do you want to just risk the rain?” Izumi asked suddenly, better to be adventurous than lay in wait.

 

Kouichi nodded after a brief moment, seeming to find her offer the best choice.

 

“Okay, just know I can't block the rain. Unless you want me getting a really bad nose bleed.”

 

“Nose bleed?”

 

“I can't do things with water, fire, or light. When I try it gives me a really bad nosebleed. If I'm really emotional it's different…” she rubbed the back of her neck sheepish suddenly.

 

“But you can urge cells to multiply at any rate you want to.”

 

“Ah. That’s a can of worms I really don’t want to open.” She lead Izumi out of the library and locked the door behind them. The jingle of keys sounded like bells.

 

“Really?” Her shoulders slumped slightly, resignation filling her brow.

 

“But I’ll bust it open if it’s you, I guess. I used to black out when I was younger. Sometimes they were controlled trances. I could heal minor injuries on myself, a cut, a bruise. Nothing more. I could do other things. I can still do them.”

 

“When was the last time you blacked out?”

 

“This past summer. After I started wearing my glasses I couldn’t see the spirits as well, I didn’t get splitting headaches and it was harder for spirits to see my eyes. I haven’t blacked out since.”

 

“So what were those other things you could do?” Izumi was curious, she tilted her head towards Kouichi, ducking down a little to be closer to her level.

 

Kouichi gave her one of the most unnerving looks she’d ever seen, directed at her or anyone else.

 

“You wouldn’t believe me.”

* * *

 

Izumi should’ve known that nothing ever went normally whenever Kouichi’s around. Simple walks through the rain became life threatening.

 

They’d just taken their first few steps outside when Kouichi had straight up frozen, glacier style, in the middle of the walk way.

 

Izumi stood behind her and peered around them trying to see what Kouchi sensed. It was probably a penny lodged in some tree bark. Kouichi reached backwards to clamp her hand around Izumu’s wrist like a vice.

 

“Kimura san?” The rain cascaded around them, drowning most of her voice out. It was harder to see now and water collected on the ground like soup at the bottom of a bowl.

 

The wind thankfully carried it for her. 

  
The wind also carried an ear shattering cackle in the distance. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry! Sorry~ I've been busy. I'll try to post three updates today. How is everyone?  
> I know no one is reading this but I care about you. I hope everyone will have a great weekend!


	5. Clairaudience

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She was too young to die.

Izumi didn’t have time to duck before a jet propulsion of water sent her to her knees. Kouichi’s hand was still wrapped tightly around her wrist. The weather only worsened as the creature drew nearer. It sort of looked like her elementary school swim instructor. But that’d be silly, she wasn’t dead. 

 

She was too young to die.

 

She had never liked Izumi and took every chance to pick on her, it was a wonder she had never been fired because of the inappropriate comments she’d said. 

 

_ “Orimoto san, no one would revive you if you were to drown. It’s obvious! It’d be like kissing you.”  _ Izumi had hated her. 

 

Who picked on an eleven year old like that? She’d always been known throughout their school for having looks that could kill. Long brown hair that fell to the center of her back, full lips, and showy clothes. 

 

Really, who had allowed for her to become a teacher?

 

It didn’t matter because the monster before her was by far the ugliest thing she’d ever seen. Torn gills with hooks still clinging to the torn meat like children to their Mothers flared up up at the sight of her. 

 

Her entire body was the same color as a dolphin, brown eyes now a bright yellow. It walked on multiple tentacles,  _ smack smack smack smack…  _ and howled with laughter. It had long green hair, seaweed really if you looked closely, tied together with fishing line and contained by large fishing nets.

 

It showed off its body the same as her teacher had, countless seashells stuck to its chest barely covered up its nipples. Like the Little Mermaid decided to wear even less clothes.

 

“Do my eyes deceive me? Finally I’ve met a psychic! Kehehe, I’ll surely grow into the ultra powerful beautiful me!” Wait. It hadn’t noticed her? She could have sworn its sight had been fixed on her… she remained on her knees to avoid notice.

 

“I am.” Kouichi said loudly and clearly. Her voice seemed to surround the three of them and echo. It continued to rain and Izumi saw that her wet hair clung to her glasses and partially obstructed her vision. 

 

“Wonderful! Wonderful! I could sense your aura, nearly taste it.” When it licked its lips Izumi saw a tongue meant for stripping meat off of bones and three rows of razor sharp teeth. “Such a beautiful aura, really. That’s part of the reason why I need for you to go…”

 

“You can’t have it.”

 

“What do you mean I can’t?”

 

“I was born with a purpose and I refuse.” Kouichi's stance widened and that's when Izumi truly realized how utterly fucked they all were.

 

Kouichi stood no chance against something that size. That thing moved too realistically to be fake. In fact…

 

It looked exactly like a sketch she'd made of her old swim instructor. The slight tremble of Kouichi’s calves would have no way of knowing about that. 

 

“You've found your purpose! You'll be a delicious treat!” 

 

If that thing was real then… that meant those other two freaks were too. But then that also meant…

 

Kouichi’s skirt whipped around her, all of her clothes were soaked and smacked against her chilled skin. She was too determined to notice. 

 

The monster delicately plucked a hook from its neck, its nails were painted red, manicured at one point, severely chipped now. It pulled silver fishing line from its sickly green hair. Izumi gagged.

 

It tied the line to its hook, fingers fast and steady. Resembling a clown trying to tie a balloon at a child’s birthday party before they grew frustrated enough to throw it at the kid. That would be preferable any day.

 

It spun its new weapon around like it was a harmless piece of string. Everything in Izumi screamed for her to run but… There Kouichi stood before her, just as terrified as her but doing something about it.

 

She felt ashamed of herself. Friendship was so important to her and what was she doing? On her knees behind Kouichi. Like a child.

 

Kouichi shoved her back and she felt like she was  _ flying.  _ She was fairly certain she had given how far she’d been driven back away from the scene before her.

 

The creature swung its weapon at Kouichi, only missing her by a margin of a hair. It cleaved apart the earth and sent chunks of stressed grass and dull concrete flying. A small chunk hit Izumi squarely in the forehead. She felt blood ooze and drip down, it followed the path of her nose. Her nose had always been very straight and it easily directed the blood to splatter against her uniform shirt.

 

Kouichi stood there, looking just as determined as ever. Izumi felt a vaguely familiar warmth surround her. Like an acquaintance that she may have met before a very long time ago without knowing. She reached out a hand to tentatively stroke the bubble like warmth. Everything around her was tinted a glowing purple. 

 

It quivered at her touch before hugging more closely too her. It embraced her like a lover after many years of separation. Kouichi’s knees trembled.

 

Izumi watched Izumi tumble away from another swipe of the stringed hook. Kouichi stood, knees grass burnt.

 

Kouichi looked like she was struggling to move around in the heavy rain.

 

It rained harder and harder, Izumi was spared of its chill but Kouichi wasn’t. Even from far away Izumi could see the tiny prickles of its so cold on her exposed skin.

 

Kouichi gained a look of utmost concentration before her feet were enveloped by that same purple energy that surrounded her. She leapt and got about as far as its collar bone.

 

She was nearly hit with just the smooth edge of the hook, it probably would’ve cracked all her ribs. A sharp edge only skimmed her side. Why was it barbed like that?

 

Kouichi fell -an angel with broken wings-, gripping her side with a hand that shook like a young child’s/ The gash in her side bled profusely and Izumi felt sick. She’d never seen that much blood in her life.

 

The was real… This was real…

 

Kouichi was bleeding out as she descended. 

  
When she fell Izumi watched in actionless horror. A tendril of water snaked around her left leg. Kouichi didn’t have time to struggle before an ear splitting crack filled the air.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm working on the next chapter as I publish this.


	6. Dei morti parla bene

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And of many men, unbeknownst he is lying to those around him  
> to aid in lying to himself
> 
> Kouichi and Izumi's walk home gets interrupted.

 

Kouichi’s leg snapped under the force of the water and she crumpled to the ground, entire body spasming. 

 

Izumi saw her gasp for breath after breath. Like a fish on land. The bubble around her shuddered, trying to stay as close to her as possible. It looked nearly ready to dissipate. 

 

“K-” Izumi choked out. Her heart stopped as the monster grabbed hold of her with its gaudy hands.

 

“You’re going to be fun devouring~” it said opening its mouth to display its gruesome contents. A long tongue snaked out to lick its lips. Izumi felt rage over rule her fear. Her whole body shook, fists clenched white knuckles tight at her sides. The purple ball around her tried to hug tighter to her, give her warmth and soothe her but as the seconds drew on… its movements became feeble and its efforts more pronounced. Kouichi looked on the verge of passing out when it finally did dissipate. The cold rain felt like a shock of electricity against her system. It was so cold it nearly scorched her skin.

 

She stared down the creature- her former swim instructor and gave her the strongest gaze she had.

 

“Akagawa!” her voice boomed over the heavy rain. She sounded so sure of herself it was surprising to say the least. Her former teacher was a monster. A real, literal monster with Kouichi in her clutches. Her blood felt like it was soaring, as if not connected to her body at all. 

 

“Put her down and leave, you old hag!”

 

“My ears must be deceiving me, you sound like this girl I used to teach!” Her lips twisted into a cruel smirk. “I would’ve killed her for her impertinence.” Hearing that made Izumi glad she’d gotten out of that school district. 

 

“Do you hear me, you fossil? Put my friend down!”

 

“I’ll kill a weakling like you and eat her for my dessert!” she let out a sick cackle, the same she had always had. Everyone else had ignored it but Izumi knew to look deeper than her face.

 

“Put her down and take me on like a woman!” her shoulders squared and she felt a vacuum in the pit of her stomach. Nothing seemed to exist.

 

“Hmm, okay. You really convinced me.” Akagawa threw Kouichi down down and Izumi watched in horror, for a split second, as her friend took a nosedive. Kouichi barely looked conscious let alone prepared to stop herself from free falling. 

 

Without a thought Izumi found herself with Kouichi in her arms, ten feet away from where Kouichi would've fallen. She blinked in surprise but didn't have the time to question it. Kouichi’s leg was definitely broken and she seemed to have lost a lot of blood already. White peaked through all the blood. 

 

Kouichi weakly gripped her forearms. Izumi felt her heart clench painfully. The vacuum in her stomach drew her attention for a moment before she blocked it out again.

 

Kouichi’s glasses had been lost in the fall and the uniform skirt was hiked up above mid thigh. That couldn't be comfortable. She helped pull Kouichi’s clothes into order. Izumi adjusted her in her arms, holding her close like a bouquet of roses. 

 

Where was a safe area she could set her down? She hadn't really planned ahead on what to do if or when Akagawa “put her down”. What could she do to her old teacher? She had a giant hook on a fishing line she used like a lasso.

 

She felt Kouichi’s hand grip her bicep tighten.

 

“Get out, Izumi chan.” Kouichi said. 

 

“W-what? I don't think we can get out right now. I don't know what to do! You're the psychic with incredible power over all the weird bullshit!”

 

“You're right. We can't get out.”

 

“That’s why I’m panicking!”

 

“ _ We  _ can’t get out- but  _ you  _ can.”

 

“Hey knock it out, Kimura. You're speaking from the blood loss. Did anyone ever bother to tell you that you bleed- a lot?” 

 

“I hadn't noticed, Izumi chan.” 

 

“I guess it’s a bad time for this now, huh?” She offered Kouichi the most reassuring smile she could manage. It felt more like a grimace pulling the corners of her face how it chose. 

 

“I won’t even think of leaving you behind.” Kouichi looked up at her like she was a heavy rainfall after years of no rain. Which is to say she was barely retaining consciousness and looked deathly.

 

Izumi’s pulse beat a violent tattoo into the side of her neck, proof that she was here, this was really happening. Why was this happening? To her of all people.

 

That’s what she got for being lured in by bluebell eyes. 

 

“We’ll be okay, I mean it’s not that bad. Your leg will be fine.”

 

“Izumi chan I can’t even feel anything below my hip.” Kouichi sighed, face pale and sweaty.

 

Izumi felt terror turn her blood to ice. She was just starting to get closer to Kouichi, sure they hadn’t known one another for very long...But Izumi greatly appreciated Kouichi’s company and if pressed she would tentatively admit to them being friends.

 

Friends that got each other into unbelievable near-death situations. She was the best friend Izumi had ever had, regardless of the caution signs around her. 

 

Izumi placed her hand on Kouichi’s thigh, Kouichi’s skin was only slightly colder than usual. 

 

“No worries, see? I just felt below your hip. Feels fine to me!” 

 

Kouichi’s eyes widened, breath hitching.

 

“Y-you...you’re a nut. You’re a nut, Izumi chan!” Kouichi’s sentence broke with her raspy laughter “Who says things like that?”

 

Izumi felt dumb for half a moment, after all, it was a strange thing to say at a time like this. Her heart beat faster. 

 

“Aren't you going to set the psychic down? Oh oh, what's it matter?” the monster Akagawa paused, grim smile forming. “I prefer it when my prey struggles.” 

 

A scarlet scarf of despair constricted around her neck. Her pulse beat a furious tempo into the side of her neck. 

 

Prey…

Right she wasn’t just holding Kouichi in her arms, it wasn’t some romantic drama with some cheesy title…

 

Her wish to save Kouichi was too genuine for such fake things.

 

Izumi gently sat Kouichi down, gave her the biggest grin she could muster.

  
“Izumi chan, wait!” her protests fell on deaf ears. Orimoto Izumi stood before the terrifying monster that was sure to take their lives. She did not shake or shiver, emerald green eyes hard. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I've been so busy!

**Author's Note:**

> Planning on at least ten chapters! There may be twelve though. Not connected to my other series~! I'm trying to post a lot more on here, but it's a pain with school. There's an expected three parts for this series and at the end of this work I'll have a reference page. Sorry for the short first chapter.


End file.
